1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to sewing methods and articles made therefrom, and more specifically to methods and techniques used to make eight-point star designs such as used in sewing, textile and fabric arts, and quilt making.
2. Description of the Related Art
For centuries mankind has sewn together small pieces of textiles, cloth or fabric to make larger pieces. In antiquity this was done by handwork, until the invention of the mechanical sewing machine in the 1800's. Most modern sewing is done using a sewing machine, although hand sewing is still done of necessity or because it is more traditional for specialty applications.
Textile and fabric art have also existed for many centuries. These art forms seek to create attractive and decorative combinations of textured, printed or colored textiles, cloth or fabrics. Geometric designs, such as a triangle or trapezoid, may be formed by sewing small pieces together. Likewise, more complex designs may be sewn, for example a pinwheel or a star. These designs may be used individually or in combination with other like or unlike geometric designs to create a larger piece, such as a wall hanging, quilt or mural. Textile and fabric art may also be used to decorate clothing.
One geometric design that has been used in fabric art and quilt making since the early 1800's is the eight-point star. The eight-point star design is encountered perhaps more frequently than any other geometric design. The traditional technique for creating the eight-point star design is to cut and sew eight diamond shapes, together with four square shapes, and with four triangle shapes. A set of directions or “pattern” as it is termed is generally provided to the artist to show the sewing method or technique. Although the pattern may specify that different size diamonds, triangles, and squares are cut to suit the finish size desired, all eight-point stars are currently made by means of the traditional technique that combines diamonds, triangles, and squares.
Referring to FIG. 1, shown therein is a top plan view of an assembled eight-point star (S) formed using the traditional method. As shown therein, the eight-point star is comprised of three geometric shapes sewn together, typically using a seam allowance of one-quarter inch. The shape includes the square (shape A), a quarter-square triangle (shape B), and 45-degree diamonds (shape C).
The sewing instructions for the traditional eight-point star illustrated in FIG. 1 are as follows:
In step 1, the diamonds C are sewn into pairs. As shown in FIG. 2, two diamonds C, C are overlaid and pinned together along one edge. In order to avoid set-in seam problems, dark dots on the diamonds shown in FIG. 2 designate the point at where sewing is stopped, typically one-quarter inch from the adjacent edge. At this point the seam is backtacked. Backtacking is a method of sewing in reverse. Generally, the seam is backtacked three stitches. The set of diamonds is then pressed in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2.
Step 2 is the making of a half-star. In step 2, two diamond pairs are overlaid and sewn together to make a half-star. As shown in FIG. 3, sewing is stopped approximately one-quarter inch from the bottom of the diamond pair edge (shown with the dark dots) following which the seam is backtacked. The finished half-star is then pressed according to the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 3. This step is repeated for the other half of the star.
Step 3 involves sewing the two half-stars together, as shown in FIG. 4. First, the two half-stars are overlaid and pinned together. To avoid set-in seam problems, sewing is commenced one-quarter inch from one end of the diamond edge (at the dark dots), backtacked, and sewing is stopped at the other end of the C diamond edge (at the dark dots) and finished with backtack. With the two half-stars sewn together, it does not matter which way the center seam is pressed.
In step 4, the quarter-square triangles (B) are sewn to the exposed edges of the diamonds. With the wrong side of the diamond facing the sewer, in this case the back side, the quarter-square triangle (B) is pinned to the side of the diamond. Sewing is commenced from the outside tip of the diamond. Sewing should stop at approximately one-sixteenth of an inch from the inside of the diamond seamline (at the dark dots shown in FIG. 5), which is followed by backtack. The thread is then cut and the pieces are removed from the machine. With the back or wrong side of the quarter-square triangle (B) facing the sewer, it is pinned to the diamond. Sewing commences and stops at one-sixteenth of an inch from the inside diamond seamline (at the dark dots), after which it is finished with backtack. The finished section is pressed in the direction towards the quarter-square triangle (B). All four sides are finished in this manner.
In step 5, shown in FIG. 6, the squares (A) are sewn to the exposed edges of the diamonds (C). With the wrong-side of the diamond facing outward, the square (A) is pinned thereto. Sewing is started and stopped one-sixteenth of an inch from the inside of the diamond seamline (at the dark dots), following which sewing is completed with backtack. The thread is then cut and the pieces are removed from the machine. The foregoing is repeated for the other side of the square (A). The seam is then pressed toward the square (A). All four squares are sewn in this manner.
It should be noted that when setting in seams, sewing should always stop one-sixteenth of an inch from the inside diamond seams and then backtacked. By doing this, a pleat will not be formed on the front of the star. If sewing is stopped more than one-sixteenth of an inch from the inside diamond seams, a hole (unsewn area) will be formed.
One disadvantage of the traditional technique of making eight-point star designs is that the accurate cutting of diamond and triangle-shaped pieces of textiles or fabrics is much more difficult than cutting a simple square. This is because the sides of the diamonds and triangles must be cut at exact angles that are difficult to achieve with conventional rulers. If accurate cutting is not done, the sewing and assembly of a visually appealing eight-point star design cannot be accomplished because the individual component pieces have slightly different dimensions. The finished eight-point star will neither be symmetrical nor will it lay flat. This disadvantage is widely known to fabric artists who use the terminology “ripping out” to describe the tedious removal of sewing stitches to attempt additional sewing so the eight-point star design will be symmetrical and lay flat when assembled.
Another disadvantage of the traditional and current technique to make the eight-point star design is that the diamonds, triangles, and squares are cut from textile, cloth or fabric that is manufactured in looms. This production process causes the individual fiber threads to lay parallel and perpendicular to each other. When the diamond and triangle pieces are sewn together into the eight-point star design, the sewing threads do not run parallel with the fiber threads, because the diamonds and triangles have 45-degree angular sides. Thus, the tension of the sewing threads tends to stretch and distort the diamond and triangle pieces, making the accurate assembly of the eight-point star very difficult. This disadvantage is also known to fabric artists and quilt makers, who commonly refer to sewing on “bias edges” to describe the difficulty encountered when the sewing threads cannot run parallel with the individual fiber threads.
A further disadvantage of the traditional technique that uses diamonds and triangles in the eight-point star design is that the sewing must be precisely controlled at the points where three stitching lines intersect. This is commonly referred to as the Y point. If the sewing goes even slightly beyond the intersection point, a pleat is formed that is visually unacceptable. Likewise, if the sewing is even slightly short of the intersect point, a hole is created that is equally unacceptable. This disadvantage is referred to as sewing “set-in seams.” Because of these difficulties, set-in seams or Y seams are avoided by all but the most experienced and skillful artists.
In summary, there are many challenges and difficulties encountered by textile and fabric artists when making the eight-point star design from diamond, triangle, and square geometric shapes. Hence there is a need for an easier and more accurate method for forming eight-point stars.